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Post by Blindpig on Nov 10, 2013 17:22:02 GMT -5
A friend who collectect chemistry sets and related articles told me about the "Gilberts Atomic Lab" which had real radio active materials included. I assumed he was bull shitting me until I did a little bit of research and wham there is was. Pretty cool toy if you could avoid glowing in the dark after playing with it! Just to cool not to mention!
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Post by topazbay on Nov 10, 2013 22:22:13 GMT -5
Thanks BP!  This news of course sent me scrambling for the year. Whew! None of me or mine were involved. but,Gilbert rang a bell as we had at least 2 Erector Sets 'round here! Wonder how many are still in storage /buried/ etc. The Geiger counter would have been great to have though.... ;D Nance |
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Post by terryschimm on Nov 11, 2013 8:00:57 GMT -5
You really have to wonder about the toxicity levels of some of the toys we had. I'm reminded of the Mattel Strange Change Machine I had, which emanated a horrible smell when turned on. Heating element + lead paint + asbestos lining = "strange change" indeed, LOL!
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Post by Blindpig on Nov 11, 2013 15:04:15 GMT -5
That is also a cool toy. I bought one a few years back to add to my "creepy crawlers" type toys and my kids, 9 & 12, still like to play with it occassionally even though the cubes don't open as quickly or as well as I would like them to.
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Post by terryschimm on Nov 12, 2013 9:48:06 GMT -5
That is also a cool toy. I bought one a few years back to add to my "creepy crawlers" type toys and my kids, 9 & 12, still like to play with it occassionally even though the cubes don't open as quickly or as well as I would like them to. They didn't work that great new, as I recall. The cubes only opened good the first couple times & I never could seem to get them mashed back very well. Mine must have ended up in the trash, but the plastic mountain that came with it was around for a long time, serving as a base for my army men. Terry |
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Post by Blindpig on Nov 12, 2013 16:17:59 GMT -5
That is both good and sad to know Terry. I started wondering last night that if the heating element was replaced it might work better. I figured I have a whole bunch of "sparkies" on staff who would rather do this than what I actually pay them for.
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Post by Blindpig on Dec 10, 2013 14:40:03 GMT -5
This made the top ten list of most dangerous toys I just saw on the internet the other day. They also listed Creepy Crawlers and Easy Bake Ovens due to the heat factor. I realize I am biased but I consider my kids pretty smart and imagine they would figure out hot versus not hot. Are children today dumber than we were at there age?
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Post by savewithdave on Dec 10, 2013 15:25:47 GMT -5
Hey Mitch , It's all about the Benjamin's. Aka lawsuits &.the blame game.
D&D(x)
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Post by terryschimm on Dec 10, 2013 17:23:11 GMT -5
I got burned, shocked, pinched, poked & various other toy injuries...all minor to a kid in those days, lol. It just went with the territory back then...we simply learned not to do it again. I don't know of anyone who saw it as a chance to capitalize with a lawsuit.
I can still hear what my mom would've said..."You should've known better than to stick your fingers in there". LOL!
Terry
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Post by topazbay on Dec 10, 2013 21:10:20 GMT -5
Nothing like the black stem of a freshly burnt out Sparkler or the Creepy Crawler trays slipping off their little prongs for a really hot toy.. lol  BP, I think they all came with little booklets to cover the mfg liability & that would be enough back then? Now wondering what the little booklet in the Atomic Lab said. Ha! I have also wondered what the Creepy Crawler "Goop" was made of 'cause it might be useful for easy molding of some custom Johnny West stuff. Nance |
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Post by fortapache on Dec 11, 2013 0:10:38 GMT -5
I loved my Creepy Crawlers and my Strange Change Machine. I still have a box filled with them. When my Thingmaker gave out I used the stove.
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Post by Blindpig on Dec 11, 2013 10:25:30 GMT -5
Nance you can buy the goop on ebay from a seller called Patti's Goop. I have purchased a number of bottles and colors so me and the kids can still play with the sets in my collection. I have never considered it for molding accessories but they are pretty pliable just like the originals.
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ramrodkid
Rancher
Shoot at the Black Canyon by Don Crowley
Posts: 172
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Post by ramrodkid on Dec 11, 2013 10:43:23 GMT -5
Oh Yeah! My sister had the "Creepy Crawlers", and the flower maker (don't recall the name, Flower Power I think).
I had "Fighting Men"! I spent all my allowance money buying "Goop" to build an army! When I ran out of wire (To make the soldiers pozable) my dad would bring me scraps from his work place! My set came with heavy paper tank kits that were pre camouflaged. you just folded them to shape and then accented them with stuff from your molds. When I had used those up I used the old ones for patterns and made and painted my own! These toys were great imagination builders!
Vast battles were pitched against creatures of another world (Creepy Crawlers)! Was bummed when the supply of army colored goop on the market dried up! I tried to mix the brighter colors available for the flower and creepy crawler sets....but it was just not the same!
Years later when my dad and I were learning to cast bullets for our muzzle loading rifles, my dad was recalling how he cast lead soldiers when he was a kid! This gave me an Idea! I dug out the fighting soldier mold, and with a little effort we were casting lead fighting men! Not very flexible, but you could shape them. Sadly we could never make use of the accoutrement's molds this way though.
Ahhhh lead........another fine media that is frowned upon today!
RRK
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Post by terryschimm on Dec 11, 2013 14:37:00 GMT -5
I still have some lead civil war soldiers from a set I got at a junkshop as a kid. It was pretty beat up, but I managed to make a few before it completely fell apart, lol. I'd love to have one in good condition...I'd make tons of them.
Terry
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Post by Blindpig on Dec 11, 2013 15:23:55 GMT -5
Fun Flowers was the flower set/add pack. I have one of those but never tried to get the other "girly" type sets, little dolls, bows and beads, etc.. The Fighting Men is a cool set but I have never bought the "earth" tone goop to actually make them. The best set of that run though for my money was the spooky one whose name escapes me at the moment. Being able to make fake teeth and scars is pretty darn exciting.
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This news of course sent me scrambling for the year. Whew! None of me or mine were involved. but,Gilbert rang a bell as we had at least 2 Erector Sets 'round here! Wonder how many are still in storage /buried/ etc. The Geiger counter would have been great to have though.... ;D Nance
BP, I think they all came with little booklets to cover the mfg liability & that would be enough back then? Now wondering what the little booklet in the Atomic Lab said. Ha! 
